I first heard about Coca Cola's (Coke) freestyle soda machines via Royal Caribbean. The Royal Caribbean cruise line is slowly deploying the machines on their cruise ships. Sadly, I haven't been on 1 of the ships that have the machines. I remembered that the Columbia, Maryland Wegmans grocery store has 1 of the machines (they actually have 3 as I found out later), I decided to go there and try their machine out.
I found the machine very simple to use. You put your glass in the machine. You touch the screen. You press for ice in your glass then choose what soda you want. The machines offer an astounding 125 different Coke products, some of which you won't find on your supermarket shelves. For example, I decided to try Vanilla Barq's Root Beer to see what it's like. The machines I suspect are a huge plus for places that carry them as they cut down on the amount of inventory the store or in Royal Caribbean's case ships have to carry. Also, since they're very simple to use, customers can use them themselves freeing up staff to do other tasks. At Wegmans, all they had to do was collect my $1.69 plus tax and give me a glass to put my soda in.
I really liked the Coke freestyle machines and, I look forward to using them again at Wegmans. I can't wait to get to use them on Royal Caribbean's ships. The machines will offer cruisers a greater choice of sodas and more convenience. Happy Drinking All!
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Monday, February 18, 2013
Rita's York Peppermint Milk Shake
Yesterday, I visited the Laurel, Maryland Rita's Italian Ice for a Root Beer Misto Shake. They didn't have Root Beer ice yesterday but, I was able to get the equivalent of a Creamsicle Misto Shake which was just as good. While enjoying my shake, I noticed they had advertisements in their shop for a York (think peppermint pattie) Peppermint Milk Shake. I really like peppermint so, I inquired about the item. I found out, it isn't listed on the boards listing what custards and ices they have. It's something of a special product you have to know about to get. I decided to put that on my list to try.
Today was the day I got to try their York Peppermint Milk Shake. It was a reward to myself for moving 2 loads of my stuff to EZ Storage. My move is slowly coming along and, I should be out of my current apartment by the time my lease comes to a final end.
I found the shake had a very considerable chocolate flavor to it. Chocolate lovers should like it in that way. However, I found the peppermint flavor to be rather weak. I mentioned this to the lady running the Laurel shop and, she kindly got me some more peppermint syrup which helped some but, it still wasn't what I would call a very good PEPPERMINT milk shake. To me, it was more of a chocolate milk shake with a trace of peppermint. I think they need to use more peppermint syrup in the recipe.
Overall, it was a nice treat but, it wasn't as good as I expected it to be. I think Rita's Root Beer Misto or Creamsicle Misto shakes are better. FYI, the Laurel Rita's is now open 7 days a week again. During December and January, they had reduced hours which could be annoying at times. I remember having a hankering for 1 of their misto shakes only to find them closed. While I was there today, they seemed to be doing a decent amount of business especially with the cold weather. Hopefully, the winter weather will be behind us soon here in Maryland and, a Rita's ice will be even more enjoyable with the warmer weather. They're a great way to cool off. Happy Sipping All!!!!!
Today was the day I got to try their York Peppermint Milk Shake. It was a reward to myself for moving 2 loads of my stuff to EZ Storage. My move is slowly coming along and, I should be out of my current apartment by the time my lease comes to a final end.
I found the shake had a very considerable chocolate flavor to it. Chocolate lovers should like it in that way. However, I found the peppermint flavor to be rather weak. I mentioned this to the lady running the Laurel shop and, she kindly got me some more peppermint syrup which helped some but, it still wasn't what I would call a very good PEPPERMINT milk shake. To me, it was more of a chocolate milk shake with a trace of peppermint. I think they need to use more peppermint syrup in the recipe.
Overall, it was a nice treat but, it wasn't as good as I expected it to be. I think Rita's Root Beer Misto or Creamsicle Misto shakes are better. FYI, the Laurel Rita's is now open 7 days a week again. During December and January, they had reduced hours which could be annoying at times. I remember having a hankering for 1 of their misto shakes only to find them closed. While I was there today, they seemed to be doing a decent amount of business especially with the cold weather. Hopefully, the winter weather will be behind us soon here in Maryland and, a Rita's ice will be even more enjoyable with the warmer weather. They're a great way to cool off. Happy Sipping All!!!!!
Weaver's Turkey Jerky Review
One of the products I particularly like at Beiler's Meats located at 9701 Ft. Meade Road in Laurel, Maryland is Weaver's Turkey Jerky. The jerky has a nice flavor and is cheaper than their various beef jerky's. Also, the jerky doesn't have any Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), has a good shelf life (up to a year) though it must be refrigerated once it's opened and, I believe is lower in fat than beef jerkys. Lastly, it's cheaper than other beef jerkys (this may not longer be true, see update) . Beiler's sells it for $16 a pound (definitely not true any longer, see update) though the shopper can save a $1 a pound if they buy an entire 2 pound package of the jerky like I do (no longer true). The only downside I see to this turkey jerky is it's not widely available throughout the United States. The jerky is made in Lebanon, Pennsylvania and is limited to various markets in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware (based on information from their website http://godshalls.com/. I believe the reason I can get it in Maryland is because Beiler's is part of a Dutch Market in Laurel.
Overall, Weaver's turkey jerky is good jerky for those who like jerky. It has gotten more expensive recently (at one time Beiler's was selling it for $13.50 a pound) but, it's still a very good product. Jerky lovers may not be pleased that it comes in only the standard flavor unlike Oberto's which offer their turkey jerky in teriyaki and peppered as well as regular flavor. But, it's still a good product and worth buying providing you can find it. Happy eating all!
Update January 1, 2016: A couple days before New Year's, I stopped by Beiler's Meats at the Laurel, Maryland Pennsylvania Dutch Market and decided to get some more Weaver's Turkey Jerky. I confess I haven't bought it in a while and, I got one heck of a shock when I found out how much the price has gone up on it. The jerky is now selling for $19.50! a pound though you can get a 20 cent a pound discount at Beiler's if you buy an entire 2 pound package of it. I don't know why it has gone up this much though part of the reason may be the avian flu that hit a bunch of turkeys here in the U.S. and caused turkey prices to go up. However, that is very much a guess on my part. I still think it's very good jerky. However, the high price may discourage some folks from buying it and, I can understand that. I won't be buying as much of it myself. Cheers all!
Overall, Weaver's turkey jerky is good jerky for those who like jerky. It has gotten more expensive recently (at one time Beiler's was selling it for $13.50 a pound) but, it's still a very good product. Jerky lovers may not be pleased that it comes in only the standard flavor unlike Oberto's which offer their turkey jerky in teriyaki and peppered as well as regular flavor. But, it's still a good product and worth buying providing you can find it. Happy eating all!
Update January 1, 2016: A couple days before New Year's, I stopped by Beiler's Meats at the Laurel, Maryland Pennsylvania Dutch Market and decided to get some more Weaver's Turkey Jerky. I confess I haven't bought it in a while and, I got one heck of a shock when I found out how much the price has gone up on it. The jerky is now selling for $19.50! a pound though you can get a 20 cent a pound discount at Beiler's if you buy an entire 2 pound package of it. I don't know why it has gone up this much though part of the reason may be the avian flu that hit a bunch of turkeys here in the U.S. and caused turkey prices to go up. However, that is very much a guess on my part. I still think it's very good jerky. However, the high price may discourage some folks from buying it and, I can understand that. I won't be buying as much of it myself. Cheers all!
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Wasa Museum
Another neat ship I told the lady at EZ Storage about was the Swedish warship Wasa. The ship was ahead of its time in that it was the first double decker warship. If the ship had worked, it would've given the Swedish Navy a huge advantage in naval combat. Unfortunately, ship building at that time was hit and miss and, this ship missed. The ship was top heavy. Swedish naval authorities knew the ship had problems. Swedish Vice Admiral Klas Fleming was present during a test done at the ship's pier where 30 men ran up and down the rigging. The ship nearly capsized at the pier. Fleming is reported as saying he wished the King (Gustav II Adolf) were there. Presumably so, the King could see the problems his ship had.
On August 10th, 1628, the ill-fated ship set sail. It didn't even make it out of the harbor before the ship heeled to port, took massive amounts of water through its gun ports and capsized. Later, in 1956, Anders Franzen researched and searched for the sunken Wasa. With the help of diver Per Edvin Falting, he successfully found the Wasa. He would arrange salvage and, in 1961, the Wasa returned to the surface. In 1990, the museum that displays the Wasa was opened (Source:http://www.vasamuseet.se/en/The-Ship/Life-on-board/).
The ship is incredible and 95% original. It looks very much like a ghost ship. Also, the ship is huge. The museum that holds the magnificent ship is approximately 3 stories high. In my opinion, this museum is one of the must see museums in Stockholm. The ship is really impressive and is a time capsule into the 17th century. As far as I know, it is the only surviving 17th century warship in the world. I highly recommend this incredible museum. A web site with information in English about the ship can be found at: http://www.vasamuseet.se/en/
Solar Boat Museum
While visiting EZ Storage, I told one of the very nice ladies who runs the place about the incredible Solar Boat Museum. I told her how big the boat was, what it was made of and the history of it. Then, I tried to show it to her from my blog and found out to my disbelief, I never posted a picture of it on it. So, this is for her.
Here's my story about the solar boat. I arrived a day early into Cairo, Egypt so, I'd have time to recover from the long (10 hours 45 minutes) flight from New York City as well as get adjusted to the local time. I'd learned the hard way during my Globus Scandanavia tour that this could make a big difference at the beginning of the tour.
The Avalon Waterways people were waiting for me at Cairo International and patiently guided me through the process of getting my Egyptian visa. After that, they got my travel friend Harvey and I in a van which drove us to our extremely nice hotel the MENA House Oberoi. It was there that we met of the finest tour guides I've ever had Sami Hassan.
Once I was checked in, I met with Sami and, he asked if Harvey and I wanted to do something with our free time. As we were in reasonably good shape, we said sure. It turned out there were 8 or 9 us that flew in early. All of us were game and, Sami took us to the pyramid complex where we paid the 100 Egyptian Pounds to get in then led us to the Solar Boat Museum which cost us another 50 Egyptian Pounds.
The Solar Boat Museum is a museum that holds a special boat that was built for the Pharoah Cheops (also known as Khufu) to be used supposedly in the after life as the pharoah sailed round the world. It was approximately 70 feet long, made of Lebanon cedar which were apparently floated down to Egypt in rafts and was held together by special grass ropes. The boat didn't have ANY nails in it to hold it together. The boat's special grass ropes were woven through the specially drilled boards in a way that would hold the boat together. What was special about the ropes is that the grass would contract when it was watered causing the ropes to pull the boards of the boat together forming a water tight seal. The boat was buried in a special crypt/pit right next to Cheops's pyramid in pieces in a precise order so that it could easily be put back together in the afterlife. The boat was discovered in 1954. After much study, the boat was put together and displayed in the Solar Boat Museum. It is an absolutely incredible boat. Seeing this ancient boat was one of the highlights of my tour of Egypt and an unexpected bonus I wouldn't gotten to do were it not for my flying out a day early as well as for the great tour director Sami Hassan. I would heartily recommend folks check out this incredible museum. It's in the pyramid complex and behind the Great Pyramid. Here is a link to a webpage that tells more of the history of the boat: http://egyptsites.wordpress.com/2009/02/25/the-solar-boat-museum/
EZ Storage Laurel Maryland
Back in January, I decided it was time to move out of the apartment I've lived in the past 11 years. I came up with a plan where I'd move a lot of my stuff into storage first so, I could get the apartment cleaned then see about moving into an apartment some where else. One place I was familiar with storage wise is the EZ Storage facility on 8401 Contee Road in Laurel, Maryland. I've delivered mail there and, it looked like a nice facility. A big plus about the facility is they have units that are climate controlled i.e. they stay a certain temperature year round.
According to the companies website, they offer free tours of the facility and, I decided to take them up on it. I found out all the climate controlled units are in the basement level. All units have a sliding lock bar which you attach a lock to so, they are secured. The units vary in size from what would be a standard closet space to one on par with a 1 car garage. The bigger the unit, the expensive the monthly rent on it. You can find out what each size unit will cost you on their website and if the size unit you want is available at the facility you want to use. Rental agreements are from month to month and, the rent payment must be made by the 28th of each month. You can pay online if you wish at their website.
Security at the facility is very good. There are 3 layers of it. First, you must have a code given to you by the staff at the facility to get through the locked gate. Second, you must use that same code to get into the building and be able to raise the garage doors so, you can bring stuff into the facility. Third, you have the key lock on your unit. Also, there are surveillance cameras so staff can watch who is in the facility.
Hours wise, the facility is open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. 7 days a week. Office hours are 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
The office has boxes for sale as well as packing tape and locks to secure your storage compartment with. Small boxes cost $2.19 each, medium boxes are $2.99 each and large are $3.99. EZ Storage has a deal where you buy 9 boxes and, you get the tenth box for a penny. I don't know the price of the packing tape. They have 2 types of locks for sale - a steel lock for $8.99 and a brass lock for $12.99. As far as I know, they both offer the same level of security for your unit.
Staff wise, I found the staff very helpful and courteous. The partners who run the facility are equally nice and are willing to answer any questions potential customers have about the facility.
Overall, I was very impressed with the EZ Storage facility at 8401 Contee Road, Laurel, Maryland. It's very clean, well run and very secure. I like storing my stuff there though moving it there has been a big time pain. Still, it's cheaper than using professional movers. I'd highly recommend this facility to anyone. Good luck on your move!
According to the companies website, they offer free tours of the facility and, I decided to take them up on it. I found out all the climate controlled units are in the basement level. All units have a sliding lock bar which you attach a lock to so, they are secured. The units vary in size from what would be a standard closet space to one on par with a 1 car garage. The bigger the unit, the expensive the monthly rent on it. You can find out what each size unit will cost you on their website and if the size unit you want is available at the facility you want to use. Rental agreements are from month to month and, the rent payment must be made by the 28th of each month. You can pay online if you wish at their website.
Security at the facility is very good. There are 3 layers of it. First, you must have a code given to you by the staff at the facility to get through the locked gate. Second, you must use that same code to get into the building and be able to raise the garage doors so, you can bring stuff into the facility. Third, you have the key lock on your unit. Also, there are surveillance cameras so staff can watch who is in the facility.
Hours wise, the facility is open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. 7 days a week. Office hours are 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
The office has boxes for sale as well as packing tape and locks to secure your storage compartment with. Small boxes cost $2.19 each, medium boxes are $2.99 each and large are $3.99. EZ Storage has a deal where you buy 9 boxes and, you get the tenth box for a penny. I don't know the price of the packing tape. They have 2 types of locks for sale - a steel lock for $8.99 and a brass lock for $12.99. As far as I know, they both offer the same level of security for your unit.
Staff wise, I found the staff very helpful and courteous. The partners who run the facility are equally nice and are willing to answer any questions potential customers have about the facility.
Overall, I was very impressed with the EZ Storage facility at 8401 Contee Road, Laurel, Maryland. It's very clean, well run and very secure. I like storing my stuff there though moving it there has been a big time pain. Still, it's cheaper than using professional movers. I'd highly recommend this facility to anyone. Good luck on your move!
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Fuze Honey & Ginseng Green Tea
While in search of Dasani's lemon flavored water and strawberry flavored water at the Columbia, Maryland Wegmans store, I discovered that Fuze puts out a honey & ginseng green iced tea. I decided to try it.
Taste wise, I could taste the honey in the tea but, I couldn't detect the ginseng. The tea came in a 20 ounce plastic bottle and has 120 calories. Price wise, Wegmans was selling it for $1.69 which seemed reasonable enough. The tea will earn you 3 My Coke Rewards points. At Wegmans, the tea may not be in the regular part of the store. I found the bottle I tried in their restaurant section like I did with the Dasani flavored waters I bought (and will review later).
Overall, I found I liked the tea and, I wish Fuze (Coca-Cola) would put it out in larger size bottles like they do with their strawberry red iced tea and lemon iced tea (will review later) which are available in 2 liter bottles. I would definitely recommend this if you like iced tea or ginseng tea even though the ginseng flavor was very weak. Happy Drinking all!
Taste wise, I could taste the honey in the tea but, I couldn't detect the ginseng. The tea came in a 20 ounce plastic bottle and has 120 calories. Price wise, Wegmans was selling it for $1.69 which seemed reasonable enough. The tea will earn you 3 My Coke Rewards points. At Wegmans, the tea may not be in the regular part of the store. I found the bottle I tried in their restaurant section like I did with the Dasani flavored waters I bought (and will review later).
Overall, I found I liked the tea and, I wish Fuze (Coca-Cola) would put it out in larger size bottles like they do with their strawberry red iced tea and lemon iced tea (will review later) which are available in 2 liter bottles. I would definitely recommend this if you like iced tea or ginseng tea even though the ginseng flavor was very weak. Happy Drinking all!
Friday, January 25, 2013
Little Caesars Bacon Honey Mustard Wings
There's a Little Caesars pizza shop in the same strip mall that has a Shoppers Food Warehouse on Maryland 198 in Laurel, Maryland. I decided to treat myself to 1 of their already prepared pizzas. When I looked at their menu, I saw they offered various flavors of wings for sale. As I'd never tried any of their wings and, I haven't had any wings in a while, I decided to buy some. I bought their Bacon Honey Mustard wings as I like honey mustard. I got 8 wings for $6 plus tax.
I found Little Caesar's wings to be decent. I couldn't taste the bacon on them or in the sauce. The sauce itself was runny and a fair amount of it dropped off the wings into the container the wings are packaged in. The wings meat wise and size wise were average. I did like the fact Little Caesar's wings weren't breaded. I can't tell you how their price compares to other places that sell wings. The biggest plus for their wings in my opinion is that they are ready to go. You don't need to order them in advance. This can be a real convenience.
Overall, I wouldn't go out of my way to get some Little Caesars wings. They are average. In my opinion, Cluck U's wings are better. The biggest plus for Little Caesars is the convenience of being able to buy them on the spot and take them immediately with you i.e. no wait. I thought the price was alright though my readers who eat more wings may be able to tell me how the stack up against other shops that sell wings. Bon Appetit all!
I found Little Caesar's wings to be decent. I couldn't taste the bacon on them or in the sauce. The sauce itself was runny and a fair amount of it dropped off the wings into the container the wings are packaged in. The wings meat wise and size wise were average. I did like the fact Little Caesar's wings weren't breaded. I can't tell you how their price compares to other places that sell wings. The biggest plus for their wings in my opinion is that they are ready to go. You don't need to order them in advance. This can be a real convenience.
Overall, I wouldn't go out of my way to get some Little Caesars wings. They are average. In my opinion, Cluck U's wings are better. The biggest plus for Little Caesars is the convenience of being able to buy them on the spot and take them immediately with you i.e. no wait. I thought the price was alright though my readers who eat more wings may be able to tell me how the stack up against other shops that sell wings. Bon Appetit all!
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Dead TMAX Battery
Today, I encountered a problem I wasn't expecting with my TMAX but, I was thankfully prepared for. The last couple days, the battery on my TMAX had been acting kind of strange. It seemed like it was low on power but, it would start the bike. However, this morning, the battery wouldn't kicked the engine over and quickly died.
Back in July 2012 (ref my July 12, 2011 post), I managed to kill the battery on my TMAX by leaving the power on for 10 minutes but not running the engine. I ended up having to get the bike towed to Heyser Cycle where the battery was replaced. While there, Heyser recommended I get a fused ring terminal with quick disconnect hooked up to my TMAX's battery so, if the battery ever died again, I could hook a battery charger up to the ring terminal and re-charge the battery. They apparently recommended having this done on all the motorbikes they sold. I agreed to have it done though it ended up costing me over $100.
Today, that money turned out to well spent. I remembered the terminal they hooked up to the battery as well as the Battery Tender Junior they sold me for $40 (lists for $39.95 on their website: http://batterytender.com/battery-tender-junior-12v-at-0-75a.html). I broke out the re-charger, hooked it up to my TMAX and waited to see if it would work. To my relief, it did.
The Battery Tender Junior has a light system that indicates what's going on with the re-charging. Flashing red light means the re-charger is receiving AC current, solid red means it is re-charging the bike's battery, flashing green means the battery is over 80% charged and solid green means the battery is fully charged. The re-charger went through the various stages as bike's battery was recharged. At 1 point, I tried to turn my TMAX on and, it came on which showed me the re-charger was working.
I don't know what caused the battery to start acting up. The only thing I can guess is the hand grip warmer I had installed on the bike. The warmer heats up the hand grips on the handle bars helping to keep my hands warm during winter riding. 1 down side to the warmer is that it doesn't automatically shut off when the bike is turned off. This means I have to make sure I turn the warmer off otherwise, it'll drain the battery. I can only guess I accidentally left the warmer on after I turned the bike off and later did turn the warmer off but not before it drained the battery down some. Thanks to the ring terminal I had hooked up to my TMAX's battery, this ended not being a disaster. I would recommend others have this done on their TMAX. Remember, the battery on the TMAX isn't easy to get to. You have to remove the mirrors, windshield and front plate in order to get to the bike's battery. Having that ring terminal installed can save you some major hassle if your TMAX dies on you battery wise. Happy riding all!
Back in July 2012 (ref my July 12, 2011 post), I managed to kill the battery on my TMAX by leaving the power on for 10 minutes but not running the engine. I ended up having to get the bike towed to Heyser Cycle where the battery was replaced. While there, Heyser recommended I get a fused ring terminal with quick disconnect hooked up to my TMAX's battery so, if the battery ever died again, I could hook a battery charger up to the ring terminal and re-charge the battery. They apparently recommended having this done on all the motorbikes they sold. I agreed to have it done though it ended up costing me over $100.
Today, that money turned out to well spent. I remembered the terminal they hooked up to the battery as well as the Battery Tender Junior they sold me for $40 (lists for $39.95 on their website: http://batterytender.com/battery-tender-junior-12v-at-0-75a.html). I broke out the re-charger, hooked it up to my TMAX and waited to see if it would work. To my relief, it did.
The Battery Tender Junior has a light system that indicates what's going on with the re-charging. Flashing red light means the re-charger is receiving AC current, solid red means it is re-charging the bike's battery, flashing green means the battery is over 80% charged and solid green means the battery is fully charged. The re-charger went through the various stages as bike's battery was recharged. At 1 point, I tried to turn my TMAX on and, it came on which showed me the re-charger was working.
I don't know what caused the battery to start acting up. The only thing I can guess is the hand grip warmer I had installed on the bike. The warmer heats up the hand grips on the handle bars helping to keep my hands warm during winter riding. 1 down side to the warmer is that it doesn't automatically shut off when the bike is turned off. This means I have to make sure I turn the warmer off otherwise, it'll drain the battery. I can only guess I accidentally left the warmer on after I turned the bike off and later did turn the warmer off but not before it drained the battery down some. Thanks to the ring terminal I had hooked up to my TMAX's battery, this ended not being a disaster. I would recommend others have this done on their TMAX. Remember, the battery on the TMAX isn't easy to get to. You have to remove the mirrors, windshield and front plate in order to get to the bike's battery. Having that ring terminal installed can save you some major hassle if your TMAX dies on you battery wise. Happy riding all!
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Review Neil Finn's Song of the Lonely Mountain
At the end of Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey as the credits roll by a song called Song of the Lonely Mountain plays. The song is performed by Neil Finn. The song tells of the dwarves quest. Finn states in an interview with Rolling Stone (http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/neil-finn-reaches-epic-heights-on-song-of-the-lonely-mountain-song-premiere-20121112) that it was developed from the singing bit the dwarves sing in Bilbo Baggins home at Bag End. The song has excellent vocals, chants and someone pounding away at an anvil which goes well with the dwarven theme. Peter Jackson told Finn to get into "a dwarven state of mind" (Source: same Rolling Stones article referenced earlier in this post) and in my opinion, he succeeds.
Overall, I think Finn wrote and sings an excellent song that ties in well with the movie and, it's theme's. The only downside I see is the song isn't played till the credits start rolling. Would be listeners may be tempted to skip this fine tune in their rush to leave the movie theater. For those who want to listen to the tune, the referenced Rolling Stone article has a link that will bring up a Rolling Stone flash music player that will play the song for free. I've played the song a number of times on this flash player and, it works great. I would definitely recommend this song to Hobbit and Lord of the Rings fans. It goes really well with the first Hobbit movie. Happy listening all!
Overall, I think Finn wrote and sings an excellent song that ties in well with the movie and, it's theme's. The only downside I see is the song isn't played till the credits start rolling. Would be listeners may be tempted to skip this fine tune in their rush to leave the movie theater. For those who want to listen to the tune, the referenced Rolling Stone article has a link that will bring up a Rolling Stone flash music player that will play the song for free. I've played the song a number of times on this flash player and, it works great. I would definitely recommend this song to Hobbit and Lord of the Rings fans. It goes really well with the first Hobbit movie. Happy listening all!
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Lantz Restaurant
1 of the businesses I've wanted to try out at the Laurel, Maryland Pennsylvania Dutch Market is the Lantz Restaurant. It's 1 of 4 eateries in the market (5 if you count Stoltzfus Bakery). The restaurant's decor isn't anything to get excited about and, it's real charm is the Amish who work there. The lady who worked the cash register and took orders for take out was incredibly sweet. The restaurant offers dining in and take out. I decided to do take out as I didn't feel like hanging around after a LONG day at work.
I'm particularly partial to Reuben sandwiches and, I checked the restaurant's menu to see if they offered 1. They do for $5.69 (I believe) and offer a side of fries for $1.79. I thought the prices reasonable. However, I wasn't wowed with the food. The fries were limp though adequate portion wise. The sandwich was decent but nothing to go out of your way for.
Overall, I wasn't impressed with food at Lantz Restaurant. I do hope to try some of their other items and see if they're better. The restaurant prides itself on its Lancaster County recipes and, the fact there aren't any preservatives in a number of its items (Per the restaurant webpage on the market website http://www.burtonsvilledutchmarket.com/default.asp). Stay tuned for another review on this restaurant at a later date.
I'm particularly partial to Reuben sandwiches and, I checked the restaurant's menu to see if they offered 1. They do for $5.69 (I believe) and offer a side of fries for $1.79. I thought the prices reasonable. However, I wasn't wowed with the food. The fries were limp though adequate portion wise. The sandwich was decent but nothing to go out of your way for.
Overall, I wasn't impressed with food at Lantz Restaurant. I do hope to try some of their other items and see if they're better. The restaurant prides itself on its Lancaster County recipes and, the fact there aren't any preservatives in a number of its items (Per the restaurant webpage on the market website http://www.burtonsvilledutchmarket.com/default.asp). Stay tuned for another review on this restaurant at a later date.
Maruchan Instant Lunch with Shrimp
One of handiest fast foods I can prepare at home is Maruchan's Instant Lunch with Shrimp. The instant lunch is composed of LOTS of noodles with a few very small shrimps, a few peas and a few pieces of carrot. The big pluses of this food item are the ease of preparation and the time it takes to be ready. Preparation wise, all you have to do is unwrap the noodle cup, open it, pour in boiling water and close it. In 3 minutes, your quick meal will be ready.
There are downsides to Maruchan's product. For starters, it has a LOT of sodium in it. 1 serving contains 1,120 milligrams of sodium or 47% of a person's daily requirement of sodium. Another downside in my opinion is their use of Monosodium Glutamate, a flavor enhancer that may also give you a false sense of being filled up. Last downside in my opinion is the fact you must pour boiling water into the noodle cup and wait for the food to cool off some before it's safe to eat. I would STRONGLY recommend parents be very careful with this food item when giving it to their kids. The noodle cup can be very hot initially and, there would be the risk of scalding oneself if you try to move the cup while it's still hot.
Another important note about this item is that it ISN'T microwavable according to markings on the package. People might think it is and, it's not. I would think there would be the risk of it overflowing if you tried to heat 1 of these up in a microwave oven.
Price wise, I can't quote you and exact price though I think they are very affordable (I think something like $5.70 for a box of them though don't quote me on that price) at discount clubs such as Costco and Sam's Club (the places where I buy mine) though you will have to buy a box of the cups if you buy them from such a club. Each box comes with 24 cups.
Calorie wise (quoting from the Maruchan lunch cup itself), each cup contains 290 calories with 110 of those being fat. For those who worry about trans fat, each cup has ZERO trans fats which is a good thing. However, there are apparently a fair amount of saturated fats in each cup as they provide 30% of the daily value of saturated fat.
Maruchan offers their instant lunches in 2 different flavors - chicken and shrimp. Personally, I prefer the shrimp because has actual shrimp in it whereas the chicken flavor only offers a chicken broth with the noodles and vegetables.
Overall, Maruchan's instant lunch is a handy and quick way to grab something to eat as long as you're CAREFUL when preparing it as well as giving it some time to cool off. Price wise, it can be a very affordable meal costing around 25 cents for a cup (based on a price of $5.60 divided by 24 cups in a box). Bon Appetit all!
Note: On my next trip to Costco or Sam's Club, I'll check the current price for a box of these cups and post it here.
There are downsides to Maruchan's product. For starters, it has a LOT of sodium in it. 1 serving contains 1,120 milligrams of sodium or 47% of a person's daily requirement of sodium. Another downside in my opinion is their use of Monosodium Glutamate, a flavor enhancer that may also give you a false sense of being filled up. Last downside in my opinion is the fact you must pour boiling water into the noodle cup and wait for the food to cool off some before it's safe to eat. I would STRONGLY recommend parents be very careful with this food item when giving it to their kids. The noodle cup can be very hot initially and, there would be the risk of scalding oneself if you try to move the cup while it's still hot.
Another important note about this item is that it ISN'T microwavable according to markings on the package. People might think it is and, it's not. I would think there would be the risk of it overflowing if you tried to heat 1 of these up in a microwave oven.
Price wise, I can't quote you and exact price though I think they are very affordable (I think something like $5.70 for a box of them though don't quote me on that price) at discount clubs such as Costco and Sam's Club (the places where I buy mine) though you will have to buy a box of the cups if you buy them from such a club. Each box comes with 24 cups.
Calorie wise (quoting from the Maruchan lunch cup itself), each cup contains 290 calories with 110 of those being fat. For those who worry about trans fat, each cup has ZERO trans fats which is a good thing. However, there are apparently a fair amount of saturated fats in each cup as they provide 30% of the daily value of saturated fat.
Maruchan offers their instant lunches in 2 different flavors - chicken and shrimp. Personally, I prefer the shrimp because has actual shrimp in it whereas the chicken flavor only offers a chicken broth with the noodles and vegetables.
Overall, Maruchan's instant lunch is a handy and quick way to grab something to eat as long as you're CAREFUL when preparing it as well as giving it some time to cool off. Price wise, it can be a very affordable meal costing around 25 cents for a cup (based on a price of $5.60 divided by 24 cups in a box). Bon Appetit all!
Note: On my next trip to Costco or Sam's Club, I'll check the current price for a box of these cups and post it here.
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Old City of Dubrovnik
One of the highlights of my 1st cruise last month with Royal Caribbean on Splendour of the Seas was visiting the old city of Dubrovnik. The old city still has its fortified walls, towers, narrow walkways and charm. It was awesome to get to walk around it and learn about it from my Croatian guide. At one time, the capital of the city-state of Ragusa, it was a trading power that rivaled Venice. Unbeknownst to the powers in the area i.e. Spain, Croatia (for a time) and the Ottoman Empire at that time, the Dubrovniks bought each power off and made fortunes trading with each of the powers. It remains 1 of the top tourist attractions in Croatia and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
This is a picture of Stradun Street which is the main and widest street in Old Dubrovnik. All the buildings in the old city are built of stone presumably to help protect against fires.
Jelly Belly Jellybeans at Arundel Mills Mall
One particular shop I like at Arundel Mills Mall in Hanover, Maryland is Sweets from Heaven. The reason I like them so much is because they offer over 40 different flavors of Jelly Belly gourmet jellybeans. Jelly Belly jellybeans are some of the best on the market and claim to be the #1 gourmet jellybean in the world. Price wise, the shop is equal to what you would pay on the Jelly Belly website http://www.jellybelly.com/Default.aspx. All the different flavors are priced at $2.25 per quarter pound (4 ounces). One particular flavor I'd recommend if you like peppermint is candy cane which is very pepperminty.
The shop sells other candies such as almond bark and candy corn though I can't tell you if those are any good. I go there just to buy Jelly Belly's. The shop is self service and, Jelly Belly's as well as a number of other candies are sold in bulk. The customer gets a bag and uses one of the scoops provided to scoop as much of each candy as they want. The shop has scales provided so, the customer can see how much they have and guesstimate how much their purchase will cost. When they're done getting what they want, they can take them up to the cashier and pay for them.
The shop's hours are:
Monday to Thursday - 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Friday & Saturday - 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sunday - 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
(Source: http://www.yelp.com/biz/sweets-from-heaven-hanover-3)
Happy snacking all!
The shop sells other candies such as almond bark and candy corn though I can't tell you if those are any good. I go there just to buy Jelly Belly's. The shop is self service and, Jelly Belly's as well as a number of other candies are sold in bulk. The customer gets a bag and uses one of the scoops provided to scoop as much of each candy as they want. The shop has scales provided so, the customer can see how much they have and guesstimate how much their purchase will cost. When they're done getting what they want, they can take them up to the cashier and pay for them.
The shop's hours are:
Monday to Thursday - 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Friday & Saturday - 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sunday - 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
(Source: http://www.yelp.com/biz/sweets-from-heaven-hanover-3)
Happy snacking all!
A "The Hobbit" Movie Review
On Sunday December 23rd, I got to see the new movie "The Hobbit" by Peter Jackson at the Arundel Mills Mall Cinemax Theater. I'd been looking forward for some time to this movie. I expected it to be excellent and, it was. The movie is taken from the book "The Hobbit" written by J. R. R. Tolkien in 1938 though the movie does have some changes from the book.
For starters, the character of Thorin Oakenshield is developed far more. We see him as a brave and inspirational leader determined to reclaim his lost home. Also, we learn more about the Necromancer who turns out to be Sauron who hides in the fortress of Dol Guldur. Another change is the introduction of Radagast the Brown who is living what would become Mirkwood. It's Radagast that discovers the Necromancer and informs Gandalf of it. Another change is the orc Azog. Azog was the orc chieftain living in Moria who started the Dwarf-Orc war that culminated in the battle of Azanulbizar. We see the battle in the movie BUT, the battle takes a different turn from what Tolkien told. Tolkien has Azog killed in the battle by a young (32 years old) Dain Ironfoot. In the movie, Jackson has Thorin cut off part of Azog's arm and, Thorin assumes he dies of his wounds. Azog doesn't and hunts down Thorin and his company with the intent of killing Thorin.
None of these changes hurt the movie and may enhance it. I suspect we'll end up caring more for the character Thorin and his death scene with Bilbo in the 3rd movie will be far more poignant. Also, the movie helps tie in some of what we see in Lord of the Rings. We see where Gandalf got the Elven blade Glamdring and the petrified trolls we see briefly in The Fellowship of the Ring.
Concerning the 3D technology, I saw the movie in XD 3D. I didn't feel any nausea. I did notice that the images were sharper and, I think the colors were brighter. Those helped make the breathtaking outdoors scenes even more stunning. There are scenes that will knock your socks off in that way.
The movie itself is nearly 3 hours long but, it never drags. At the end, I found it hard to believe I had sat for nearly 3 hours in the theater. It didn't feel that long. There is lots of action with some humor thrown in to keep the movie from being too dark. We start to see Bilbo develop discover things about himself he doesn't know are there though I think Gandalf can see them. The movie ends at a good point with the band looking across Mirkwood to the far distant Lonely Mountain which is their ultimate objective. Jackson pans into the mountain and gives us a look inside where we see a huge eye open in a tantalizing glimpse of Smaug.
Overall, I'd definitely recommend this movie. Any fan of Middle Earth should be delighted with it. It is so believable and well done. Howard Shore does another fine job score wise with the movie which helps create the appropriate moods. New Zealand itself shows its best in the movie and will tempt lots of people to visit this stunning country. Hopefully, by now, the theaters won't be so jam packed though the movie still pulled in over $35 million this past weekend. It wasn't when I saw the movie though I attended the 11:35 a.m. showing. Folks may be even tempted to see it a 2nd time as I am because, there is a LOT to take in. Happy viewing all!
For starters, the character of Thorin Oakenshield is developed far more. We see him as a brave and inspirational leader determined to reclaim his lost home. Also, we learn more about the Necromancer who turns out to be Sauron who hides in the fortress of Dol Guldur. Another change is the introduction of Radagast the Brown who is living what would become Mirkwood. It's Radagast that discovers the Necromancer and informs Gandalf of it. Another change is the orc Azog. Azog was the orc chieftain living in Moria who started the Dwarf-Orc war that culminated in the battle of Azanulbizar. We see the battle in the movie BUT, the battle takes a different turn from what Tolkien told. Tolkien has Azog killed in the battle by a young (32 years old) Dain Ironfoot. In the movie, Jackson has Thorin cut off part of Azog's arm and, Thorin assumes he dies of his wounds. Azog doesn't and hunts down Thorin and his company with the intent of killing Thorin.
None of these changes hurt the movie and may enhance it. I suspect we'll end up caring more for the character Thorin and his death scene with Bilbo in the 3rd movie will be far more poignant. Also, the movie helps tie in some of what we see in Lord of the Rings. We see where Gandalf got the Elven blade Glamdring and the petrified trolls we see briefly in The Fellowship of the Ring.
Concerning the 3D technology, I saw the movie in XD 3D. I didn't feel any nausea. I did notice that the images were sharper and, I think the colors were brighter. Those helped make the breathtaking outdoors scenes even more stunning. There are scenes that will knock your socks off in that way.
The movie itself is nearly 3 hours long but, it never drags. At the end, I found it hard to believe I had sat for nearly 3 hours in the theater. It didn't feel that long. There is lots of action with some humor thrown in to keep the movie from being too dark. We start to see Bilbo develop discover things about himself he doesn't know are there though I think Gandalf can see them. The movie ends at a good point with the band looking across Mirkwood to the far distant Lonely Mountain which is their ultimate objective. Jackson pans into the mountain and gives us a look inside where we see a huge eye open in a tantalizing glimpse of Smaug.
Overall, I'd definitely recommend this movie. Any fan of Middle Earth should be delighted with it. It is so believable and well done. Howard Shore does another fine job score wise with the movie which helps create the appropriate moods. New Zealand itself shows its best in the movie and will tempt lots of people to visit this stunning country. Hopefully, by now, the theaters won't be so jam packed though the movie still pulled in over $35 million this past weekend. It wasn't when I saw the movie though I attended the 11:35 a.m. showing. Folks may be even tempted to see it a 2nd time as I am because, there is a LOT to take in. Happy viewing all!
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Free Costco Tire Rotation
One plus you get when you buy a set of tires from Costco is free tire rotation during the life of the tires. This can save you some bucks on top of the good tire prices Costco offers. Recently, I visited the Arundel Mills (located in Hanover), Maryland Costco where I took them up on this offer again. The tire department was prompt, fast and courteous and the best part was there wasn't any charge for the service.
Another mixed blessing Costco offers tire wise is filling their tires up with nitrogen gas vice regular air. The reason they do this is so the tires maintain regular pressure at all times. Regular air expands when it gets heated and contracts (apparently) when it gets cold. This means your tire pressure can change based on the local temperatures. How inflated your tires are can have an effect on your gas mileage Nitrogen doesn't expand or contract based on the temperature. This enables the tires to have a steady pressure and help get you more miles to the gallon. The down side is that nitrogen isn't available every where and, some of it does eventually escape the tires making it necessary for the car owner to get their tire pressure checked at Costco and if needed, get more nitrogen put in the tires. That's why I call it a mixed blessing because, it is a bit of a hassle to go to Costco to get your tires topped up with the nitrogen.
Happy driving all!
Another mixed blessing Costco offers tire wise is filling their tires up with nitrogen gas vice regular air. The reason they do this is so the tires maintain regular pressure at all times. Regular air expands when it gets heated and contracts (apparently) when it gets cold. This means your tire pressure can change based on the local temperatures. How inflated your tires are can have an effect on your gas mileage Nitrogen doesn't expand or contract based on the temperature. This enables the tires to have a steady pressure and help get you more miles to the gallon. The down side is that nitrogen isn't available every where and, some of it does eventually escape the tires making it necessary for the car owner to get their tire pressure checked at Costco and if needed, get more nitrogen put in the tires. That's why I call it a mixed blessing because, it is a bit of a hassle to go to Costco to get your tires topped up with the nitrogen.
Happy driving all!
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Royal Caribbean's All Access Tour
On November 16, 2012, I got to do Royal Caribbean's All Access Tour on their Splendour of the Seas ship. I thought I'd tell a bit about the tour for those who don't know what it is and what you'd get to see.
The All Access tour in a nutshell a behind the scenes tour of various areas of the ship passengers don't normally get to see. It gives them a glimpse of what life is like for crew members as well as how the ship is run. The tour does have a minimum sign up number which I guess is at least 6. I know on my first cruise, we had 4 people sign up for the tour and, the ship cancelled because that wasn't enough people. Also, the ship runs the tour while the ship is at sea. This makes it possible for passengers to take in any land tours they want to do while the ship is in port. The tour lasts at least 3 hours and, there are some narrow steps that people on the tour must be able to handle. As tour enters sensitive areas of the ship, tour members were escorted by ship security the entire tour and at 1 point, they had to undergo a security check to make sure they weren't carrying anything dangerous before they were allowed in some of the sensitive areas. Cost wise, the tour can cost $150 which I found pretty steep and kept me from taking it before. To my delight, during my 2 cruises, the Splendour of the Seas offered a special where you buy 1 get 1 free. What that means is you pay the $150 and, you get to take a friend a long for free. This breaks out to $75 per person which is the same price (or close to it) you would pay for a land excursion. I thought that reasonable.
Our tour group assembled at the customer relations desk where we were issued our special All Access badges. Then, with appropriate security escort, our tour director (sadly name forgotten) led us down into the areas never seen by other passengers.
The tour began on the 2nd deck where we met Martha Grimm, one of the ship's human relations people who lead us through the crew members club and dining room. She told us about various activities that were organized for crew members and how long the crew would serve on the ship before getting to take leave and go home. She told us that no more than 2 crew members were put in a single cabin.
After visiting the we got to visit the laundry department. The ship has its own miniature dry cleaners and laundry service with big dryers and double barrel washing machines that can wash 100 kilos of laundry at a time. Also, there are pressing machines to steam out any wrinkles in various ship uniforms. The laundry department was very extensive though it would have to be considering the staggering number of sheets, towels and crews uniforms they would need to wash.
Next, we were taken to the incinerator room where we were briefed by the environmental officer Malcolm (last name forgotten). He was in charge of making sure the ship followed all the international and national regulations concerning the disposal of liquid and solid waste. The incinerator room was more than where they burned trash. They had bottle breaker with a box underneath that caught the crushed glass which would later be recycled at various ports. Also, there was a machine for compacting cardboard boxes which were also recycled. Concerning waste water, the water would be treated on board the ship to a point where it was safe to release it. The regulations concerning where it would be safe to release it could vary greatly so, the environmental officer had to have copies of different countries rules on this in his small office.
After the briefing was over with the environmental officer, we headed up to deck 4 where we got to stand on the stage of the ship's theater and see what it was looked like for the ship's performers. One of the actresses briefed us on how the productions were run. She showed us the show manager's console that controlled the lights and coordinated things with various stage hands. Then, we headed to the men's wardrobe and the women's wardrobe where we got to see their various costumes. We found out how they changed them so fast (they use a lot of velcro which enables them to get the clothes off quick) as well as having the costumes custom fitted for each performer. Lastly, she told how performers would rotate between ship's and shows and how they would be selected for various shows.
Chief Engineer Aleksandr Petrov was the main man in charge of the ship's engines as well as surprisingly the ship's fire sensors. The engines are constantly monitored by computers who instantly show how they are running on consoles one of the ship's engineers are always monitoring them. I think each 1 of the engines could generate something like 17,000 horsepower though please don't quote me on that. As I mentioned, the other job the engineers have is monitoring the fire sensors throughout the ship. If a sensor should go off, the person in the engine room will contact ship security immediately and, they'll send someone to check it out. If need be, they can activate various fire suppressor systems in the ship.
Everyone expects great food on a cruise but, not every one knows all the hard work that goes into producing such fantastic food. My tour group got to visit the ship's galley where we were briefed by the ship's Executive Chef Michael Luik. Chef Luik has cooked for the Queen of England, the President of the United States, various European Prime Ministers and celebrities such a Phil Collins and Celine Dion. Wanting a new challenge, he hired on with Royal Caribbean and certainly found it there. He runs all the restaurants on the ship as well as managing cooks from 19 different countries with considerable different levels of ability. Some are brand new cooks while others are sous chefs who run different departments in the galley such as soups or vegetables. Also, he checks all incoming food shipments to make sure it's of the best quality and manages over 10,000 different items the restaurants and dining rooms use. Lastly and surprisingly, he also monitors the disposal of food waste to make sure it doesn't do any harm to the environment.
Last up was 1 of the highlights of the tour, we got to visit the bridge of the ship. The views from the bridge were AWESOME!!!!! We got to see the radar screens and 1 of the ship's officers briefed us on how they could identify different ships on the screens as well contact the ship's if necessary. Depending on what the ship is doing, the number of officers on the bridge can vary from 2 to 6. The more difficult the task, the more each task is broken down to prevent overload on each officer and make it possible for Captain Iv Vidos to know what exactly is happening with his ship. The ship itself is very maneuverable with front side thrusters and engine pods that can rotate 180 degrees if necessary. Also, the ship has stabilizers which are deployed when the ship is in open seas which cut down on the rocking of the ship. After a briefing by 1 of the subordinate officers, Captain Vidos himself showed up and spoke to us for a bit before very kindly agreeing to allow tour members to have their picture taken with him. I thought this was really nice.
After visiting the bridge, our tour was over. We were escorted back to the Centrum area of the ship where we were released. We were told we would receive 2 gifts as mementos from the tour. Later, I found an All Access tour tote bag and a kitchen apron in my cabin. They were very nice mementos of a great tour. If you can get the same deal I was able to get on this tour, I'd heartily recommend it. It is a very interesting tour that will show you how Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines do their "magic." Happy cruising all!!!!!
The All Access tour in a nutshell a behind the scenes tour of various areas of the ship passengers don't normally get to see. It gives them a glimpse of what life is like for crew members as well as how the ship is run. The tour does have a minimum sign up number which I guess is at least 6. I know on my first cruise, we had 4 people sign up for the tour and, the ship cancelled because that wasn't enough people. Also, the ship runs the tour while the ship is at sea. This makes it possible for passengers to take in any land tours they want to do while the ship is in port. The tour lasts at least 3 hours and, there are some narrow steps that people on the tour must be able to handle. As tour enters sensitive areas of the ship, tour members were escorted by ship security the entire tour and at 1 point, they had to undergo a security check to make sure they weren't carrying anything dangerous before they were allowed in some of the sensitive areas. Cost wise, the tour can cost $150 which I found pretty steep and kept me from taking it before. To my delight, during my 2 cruises, the Splendour of the Seas offered a special where you buy 1 get 1 free. What that means is you pay the $150 and, you get to take a friend a long for free. This breaks out to $75 per person which is the same price (or close to it) you would pay for a land excursion. I thought that reasonable.
Our tour group assembled at the customer relations desk where we were issued our special All Access badges. Then, with appropriate security escort, our tour director (sadly name forgotten) led us down into the areas never seen by other passengers.
The tour began on the 2nd deck where we met Martha Grimm, one of the ship's human relations people who lead us through the crew members club and dining room. She told us about various activities that were organized for crew members and how long the crew would serve on the ship before getting to take leave and go home. She told us that no more than 2 crew members were put in a single cabin.
After visiting the we got to visit the laundry department. The ship has its own miniature dry cleaners and laundry service with big dryers and double barrel washing machines that can wash 100 kilos of laundry at a time. Also, there are pressing machines to steam out any wrinkles in various ship uniforms. The laundry department was very extensive though it would have to be considering the staggering number of sheets, towels and crews uniforms they would need to wash.
Next, we were taken to the incinerator room where we were briefed by the environmental officer Malcolm (last name forgotten). He was in charge of making sure the ship followed all the international and national regulations concerning the disposal of liquid and solid waste. The incinerator room was more than where they burned trash. They had bottle breaker with a box underneath that caught the crushed glass which would later be recycled at various ports. Also, there was a machine for compacting cardboard boxes which were also recycled. Concerning waste water, the water would be treated on board the ship to a point where it was safe to release it. The regulations concerning where it would be safe to release it could vary greatly so, the environmental officer had to have copies of different countries rules on this in his small office.
After the briefing was over with the environmental officer, we headed up to deck 4 where we got to stand on the stage of the ship's theater and see what it was looked like for the ship's performers. One of the actresses briefed us on how the productions were run. She showed us the show manager's console that controlled the lights and coordinated things with various stage hands. Then, we headed to the men's wardrobe and the women's wardrobe where we got to see their various costumes. We found out how they changed them so fast (they use a lot of velcro which enables them to get the clothes off quick) as well as having the costumes custom fitted for each performer. Lastly, she told how performers would rotate between ship's and shows and how they would be selected for various shows.
Chief Engineer Aleksandr Petrov was the main man in charge of the ship's engines as well as surprisingly the ship's fire sensors. The engines are constantly monitored by computers who instantly show how they are running on consoles one of the ship's engineers are always monitoring them. I think each 1 of the engines could generate something like 17,000 horsepower though please don't quote me on that. As I mentioned, the other job the engineers have is monitoring the fire sensors throughout the ship. If a sensor should go off, the person in the engine room will contact ship security immediately and, they'll send someone to check it out. If need be, they can activate various fire suppressor systems in the ship.
Everyone expects great food on a cruise but, not every one knows all the hard work that goes into producing such fantastic food. My tour group got to visit the ship's galley where we were briefed by the ship's Executive Chef Michael Luik. Chef Luik has cooked for the Queen of England, the President of the United States, various European Prime Ministers and celebrities such a Phil Collins and Celine Dion. Wanting a new challenge, he hired on with Royal Caribbean and certainly found it there. He runs all the restaurants on the ship as well as managing cooks from 19 different countries with considerable different levels of ability. Some are brand new cooks while others are sous chefs who run different departments in the galley such as soups or vegetables. Also, he checks all incoming food shipments to make sure it's of the best quality and manages over 10,000 different items the restaurants and dining rooms use. Lastly and surprisingly, he also monitors the disposal of food waste to make sure it doesn't do any harm to the environment.
Last up was 1 of the highlights of the tour, we got to visit the bridge of the ship. The views from the bridge were AWESOME!!!!! We got to see the radar screens and 1 of the ship's officers briefed us on how they could identify different ships on the screens as well contact the ship's if necessary. Depending on what the ship is doing, the number of officers on the bridge can vary from 2 to 6. The more difficult the task, the more each task is broken down to prevent overload on each officer and make it possible for Captain Iv Vidos to know what exactly is happening with his ship. The ship itself is very maneuverable with front side thrusters and engine pods that can rotate 180 degrees if necessary. Also, the ship has stabilizers which are deployed when the ship is in open seas which cut down on the rocking of the ship. After a briefing by 1 of the subordinate officers, Captain Vidos himself showed up and spoke to us for a bit before very kindly agreeing to allow tour members to have their picture taken with him. I thought this was really nice.
After visiting the bridge, our tour was over. We were escorted back to the Centrum area of the ship where we were released. We were told we would receive 2 gifts as mementos from the tour. Later, I found an All Access tour tote bag and a kitchen apron in my cabin. They were very nice mementos of a great tour. If you can get the same deal I was able to get on this tour, I'd heartily recommend it. It is a very interesting tour that will show you how Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines do their "magic." Happy cruising all!!!!!
Wednesday, December 05, 2012
Olive Garden Italian Dressing
While shopping at my local Sam's Club, I saw they had Olive Garden's Signature Italian Dressing for sale. As I like the Olive Garden restaurant chain though I don't eat there very often, I decided to buy some of the dressing. I found the dressing very good on salad and, it does remind me of the dressing Olive Garden puts on their salads at their restaurants. I don't know if it's the same recipe or not. Price wise, the Laurel, Maryland Sam's Club is selling 2 20 fluid ounce bottles of the dressing for $6.98 excluding tax. I thought this was a reasonable price and apparently better than you can find else where. Amazon has various sellers offering the dressing starting at $8.86 for the 2 bottle pack and, that doesn't include shipping. The dressing must be refrigerated once it's opened and, it should be shaken before being poured on whatever you're going to use it on.
Overall, I definitely give this dressing a thumbs up and recommend it if you like Italian salad dressings. It has a great flavor and will remind you of the fine Olive Garden restaurant chain. Bon Appetit!!!
Overall, I definitely give this dressing a thumbs up and recommend it if you like Italian salad dressings. It has a great flavor and will remind you of the fine Olive Garden restaurant chain. Bon Appetit!!!
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
My 2 November Royal Caribbean Cruises
I got back late Saturday night from my 2 Royal Caribbean cruises out of Venice, Italy on their Splendour of the Seas. While there were some disappointments, overall, I had a great time and, I'll be counting the days till I go on my next 2 cruises in early Spring of this coming year.
During my cruises, I got to visit the following places:
Alberobello, Italy
Bari, Italy
Paleokastritsa, Corfu
Acheilleon Palace, Corfu
Island of Delos
Kusadasi, Turkey
Cavtat, Croatia
Dubrovnik, Croatia
Fera, Santorini, Greece
Oia, Santorini, Greece
Ephesus, Turkey
Olympia, Greece
Katakolon, Greece
What were some of the highlights? Exploring the ruins on Delos. The was the sight of the 2nd most sacred place in Ancient Greece. It was claimed the sun god Apollo was born here with his twin sister Artemis. Over 30,000 people lived on the island at one time. Another highlight was wandering the walled city of Dubrovnik. At 1 time, it was a trading power that challenged Venice. Another was visiting the incomparable Ephesus. You can see the 24,000 seat amphitheater where Saint Paul preached and was challenged by those selling souvenirs of the temple dedicated to Artemis. Also, I did the All Access tour on the ship. This tour allows guests on the ship to visit where the crew eat and party, where trash is disposed, the engine room that powers the ship, the ship's theater (the only time I'll be on the stage vice sitting before it), the ship's galley and the bridge of the ship (awesome views). The tour was awesome!!!!!! Lastly, it was great to get to visit Venice again. The place still shines in my book.
I did have some learning experiences. I found out about the bus parking lot on Venice and, I used their People Mover (1 Euro each way) twice so, I could go to and from the bus parking lot and walk on to P. Le Roma where I caught at waterbus to the Rialto Bridge and back from the Piazza San Marco. I found out where the waterbus and Alilaguna stops were at Marco Polo International Airport were as well as the cost of 24 hour tickets on both (20 and 30 Euros as I remember respectively). Also, I did have a bit of a time finding the Best Western Hotel Sant Elena. The hotel was deserving on its reputation of a fine hotel. I'd gladly recommend it.
Lastly, the crew on the Splendor of the Seas were outstanding. I had a great head waiter from India named Alick. There was a fantastic bartender named Zoltan from Hungary and a nice cabin steward named Patricia (forget what country she was from). Customer Service were solid with a great rep named Nikolay. I got to make my first ever cruise reservations at ship's Crown & Anchor desks with Johanna. Many thanks for that. And lastly, many thanks to the unsung awesome cooks on board the ship who every day fixed such fantastic food. I had to show considerable willpower to keep myself to 1 plate per meal. I didn't want to leave as cargo at the end of the 2 cruises.
If you like cruising or are interested in cruising, you should give Royal Caribbean a look. They do a consistently fine job. I've done 7 cruises with them and, I've been pleased with them every time. Also, the have an excellent frequent cruiser program (Crown & Anchor) making it very worth whiled to do a lot of cruises with them. Happy travels all!!!!!!!
During my cruises, I got to visit the following places:
Alberobello, Italy
Bari, Italy
Paleokastritsa, Corfu
Acheilleon Palace, Corfu
Island of Delos
Kusadasi, Turkey
Cavtat, Croatia
Dubrovnik, Croatia
Fera, Santorini, Greece
Oia, Santorini, Greece
Ephesus, Turkey
Olympia, Greece
Katakolon, Greece
What were some of the highlights? Exploring the ruins on Delos. The was the sight of the 2nd most sacred place in Ancient Greece. It was claimed the sun god Apollo was born here with his twin sister Artemis. Over 30,000 people lived on the island at one time. Another highlight was wandering the walled city of Dubrovnik. At 1 time, it was a trading power that challenged Venice. Another was visiting the incomparable Ephesus. You can see the 24,000 seat amphitheater where Saint Paul preached and was challenged by those selling souvenirs of the temple dedicated to Artemis. Also, I did the All Access tour on the ship. This tour allows guests on the ship to visit where the crew eat and party, where trash is disposed, the engine room that powers the ship, the ship's theater (the only time I'll be on the stage vice sitting before it), the ship's galley and the bridge of the ship (awesome views). The tour was awesome!!!!!! Lastly, it was great to get to visit Venice again. The place still shines in my book.
I did have some learning experiences. I found out about the bus parking lot on Venice and, I used their People Mover (1 Euro each way) twice so, I could go to and from the bus parking lot and walk on to P. Le Roma where I caught at waterbus to the Rialto Bridge and back from the Piazza San Marco. I found out where the waterbus and Alilaguna stops were at Marco Polo International Airport were as well as the cost of 24 hour tickets on both (20 and 30 Euros as I remember respectively). Also, I did have a bit of a time finding the Best Western Hotel Sant Elena. The hotel was deserving on its reputation of a fine hotel. I'd gladly recommend it.
Lastly, the crew on the Splendor of the Seas were outstanding. I had a great head waiter from India named Alick. There was a fantastic bartender named Zoltan from Hungary and a nice cabin steward named Patricia (forget what country she was from). Customer Service were solid with a great rep named Nikolay. I got to make my first ever cruise reservations at ship's Crown & Anchor desks with Johanna. Many thanks for that. And lastly, many thanks to the unsung awesome cooks on board the ship who every day fixed such fantastic food. I had to show considerable willpower to keep myself to 1 plate per meal. I didn't want to leave as cargo at the end of the 2 cruises.
If you like cruising or are interested in cruising, you should give Royal Caribbean a look. They do a consistently fine job. I've done 7 cruises with them and, I've been pleased with them every time. Also, the have an excellent frequent cruiser program (Crown & Anchor) making it very worth whiled to do a lot of cruises with them. Happy travels all!!!!!!!
Saturday, November 03, 2012
Arrived in Italy
Yesterday, I arrived at Marco Polo International Airport from New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport. The flight was uneventful barring the flight being delayed 3 times which meant we got in an hour later.
It's been years since I was last in Venice. This time is unique in a number of ways. First, I took the water shuttle (Alilaguna) from the airport to Lido Island and later took it to the cruise ship terminal so, I could scout it out in advance. I wanted to know where exactly I had to go this Saturday.
Second, I've stayed overnight in Venice. Best Western has a very nice hotel called the Sant' Elena which is off the path of the tourist crowds but within 5 minutes by waterbus from St. Mark's Square. The hotel is in a converted convent and has nice rooms, free WiFi and a fine breakfast buffet which I tried this morning.
Third, this will be the first time I've ever sailed out of Venice or done an European cruise. Yesterday, Oceania and MSC cruise lines had ships in port at the cruise ship terminal. It looks like a very nice facility and millions of people have done cruises out of Venice thanks to it. It was something to see the MSC Armonia sail down the Guidecca Canal on its way out to sea last night all lit up. Royal Caribbean's Splendour of the Seas is supposed to sail at 4:30 p.m. (the ship I'll be on) and should have some awesome views of Venice as we sail out. Stay tuned for some pics on that.
Fourth, I'll get to sail on a different class of ship for the first time. It's Royal Caribbean's Vision Class ship. It's the 2nd smallest class ship they have. I'm looking forward to exploring it and finding out what it offers. Royal Caribbean has another Vision Class ship called Grandeur of the Seas which will sail out of Baltimore beginning in May 2013 and, I'd really like to do a cruise on that ship. So, it'll be handy to know the layout of the ship as each of the ships of a particular class are pretty much the same.
That's all to tell for now. I'll leave you with a picture I took of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice yesterday while exploring. Happy travels all!
It's been years since I was last in Venice. This time is unique in a number of ways. First, I took the water shuttle (Alilaguna) from the airport to Lido Island and later took it to the cruise ship terminal so, I could scout it out in advance. I wanted to know where exactly I had to go this Saturday.
Second, I've stayed overnight in Venice. Best Western has a very nice hotel called the Sant' Elena which is off the path of the tourist crowds but within 5 minutes by waterbus from St. Mark's Square. The hotel is in a converted convent and has nice rooms, free WiFi and a fine breakfast buffet which I tried this morning.
Third, this will be the first time I've ever sailed out of Venice or done an European cruise. Yesterday, Oceania and MSC cruise lines had ships in port at the cruise ship terminal. It looks like a very nice facility and millions of people have done cruises out of Venice thanks to it. It was something to see the MSC Armonia sail down the Guidecca Canal on its way out to sea last night all lit up. Royal Caribbean's Splendour of the Seas is supposed to sail at 4:30 p.m. (the ship I'll be on) and should have some awesome views of Venice as we sail out. Stay tuned for some pics on that.
Fourth, I'll get to sail on a different class of ship for the first time. It's Royal Caribbean's Vision Class ship. It's the 2nd smallest class ship they have. I'm looking forward to exploring it and finding out what it offers. Royal Caribbean has another Vision Class ship called Grandeur of the Seas which will sail out of Baltimore beginning in May 2013 and, I'd really like to do a cruise on that ship. So, it'll be handy to know the layout of the ship as each of the ships of a particular class are pretty much the same.
That's all to tell for now. I'll leave you with a picture I took of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice yesterday while exploring. Happy travels all!
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